REVISED plans to build 33-ft weather masts on rocks away from the main islands of the Minquiers and Ecréhous have been welcomed by users of the protected reefs.

Last week it was announced that controversial plans for masts on the main islands had been scrapped in favour of placing them on outlying rocks 3 km from Maître Ile, the main Ecréhous island, and 6 km from the main Minquiers island, also called Maître Ile.

The masts will be used to monitor wind speeds and inform future plans for harnessing renewable energy.

Realist

February 4, 2013 12:07 am

So users of these protected and unique RAMSAR designated reefs are bending over backwards to welcome these wind data towers, a precursor to establishing vast wind farms off their fragile ecosystems.Foresight is better than hindsight.There will be much shaking of heads when these towers are replaced a hundredfold by acres of 550ft wind turbines, an ecological disaster, owned by foreign companies and dependent on artificial EU subsidies.And the power will go to France!

Picky

February 4, 2013 8:30 pm

Could you confirm what environmental impact a wind generateor causes. Also what percentage of islanders regularly use the les ecrehoes what percentage have ever been there and how many islanders could point them out on a chart.

Don't get me wrong the islets are a pretty place but seem to be the reserve of a very select few

Realist

February 5, 2013 1:05 am

People seem to think that windfarms will benefit Jersey and provide free power to the island under what I myself used to believe in,the now increasingly discredited concept of an ecological benefit. They won't and just because they are being planned to be sited off the Ecrehous and Minquiers, a 23 kilometre wide French windfarm with whirling turbine propellors 550 ft high will be right in your face,plainly visible from the whole of the West and South of Jersey.This is an issue that some think is the preserve of a very select few.It is not and it's time that this was a wider island issue and not seen as "the reserve of a very select few".France is counting on the support of Jersey Electricity and these two wind data towers are just the start.That is my point.